Method and apparatus for separating sheets



Feb. 12, 1929. 1,702,126

c. B. MORAN METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING SHEETS Filed March 14, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR thi Qif-QW H Feb. 12, 1929. 1,702,126

C. B. MORAN METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING SHEETS Filed March 14, 192 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR I o v 7 f N I EE I l M m h s u vn w Q N A NN WM Q 4 mm a 1 m N Patented Feb. 12, 1929.. I unites stares PATENT: OFFICE.

CHARLES E. MORAN, OI? SWISSVAILE, 131E 1513MSYL'V'ANIA.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING SHEETS, Application fi1ed.March 14, 1927. Serial No. 175,334.

This invention relates to separating sheets, idler 13 is carried by a yoke 14 slidably such as those comprising rolled packs. llt mounted in cross members 15 of the frame. has other applications such as separating It is provided with a tension spring 16 havanncaled sheets, but is'herein described as ing an adjustable backing member 17. In

applied to packs. After a pack has been\ rolled, it is sheared to size andthe sheets are then separated. The sheets tend to adhere because of a welding or semi-welding action which takes place between the surface of ad j accnt sheets and. also because of the locking.

together of the sheet edges occasioned by the shearing operation. The customary practice is to grasp the corner of a pack and work it so as to separate the corners of the sheets and then take the sheets one at a time and strip them from the pack. This operation is slow, is necessarily a manual one, and, if the sheets tend to adhere tightly, is unsatisfactory. ll provide a machine whereby the packs may be expeditiously separated. l' flex the entire pack over successive lines'of flexure, such flexiire extending entirely across the pack. This is preferably done by engaging the pack between cooperating belts and 1H0V- ing the belts in a crooked path, preferably over flexing rolls. The belts engage the pack and cause thesheets to .slide over one another during the flexing operation. Preferably the sheets are fed to the machine diagonally, as this is found to result in better separation.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the present preferred embodiment of my invention,

Figure 1 is a top plan .view of a pack separating machine, and

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line l[Ill of Figure 1.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention there is shown a frame 2 supporting flexing rolls 3 and 4. Power is supplied by a belt pulley 5 on the shaft of the flexing roll 3. The shafts of the rolls 3 and 4: are connected by gears 6.

The machine is provided with belts which feed the packs aroundthe flexing rolls. The pack is introduced to the machine by laying it on the top run of two sets of belts. The belts in the first set'have been given the reference character 7 and those in the second set have been given the reference character 8. Considering first a belt 7, it will be seen from Figure 2 that starting at the upper run 7 it passes around the flexing roll a, thence around an idler 9, thence over an idler 10 to an idler 11, thence over an idler 12 to an idler 13. The

this manner any desired tension may be main tamed on the belt. From the idler 13 the belt passes over idlers 18 and 19 to return to the top run 7.

Each belt 8 passes over the flexing roll 4, thence to an idler 20, This idler 20 is located a greater distance away from the flexing roll 4-. than is the idler 9. The direction of travel of the belts is indicated by arrows. From the idler 20the belts 8 pass over an idler 21 and thence over the idlers 11 and 19 to an idler 13 which is mounted similarly and serves the same function as the idlers 13.

The belts which cooperate with the belts 7 and 8 to grip the packs are numbered 22 and 23 respectively. Considering first a belt 22, it passes over an idler 24, thence around the flexing roll 4. It is not in direct contact with the flexing roll 4:, but lies over the belt 7. The belt 22 extends around an idler 25 and thence around a tension idler 13, and idlers 26 and 27 to the idler 24. Each belt 23 passes around the idler 2d,-thence around the flexing roll a. The belts 23 are not in direct contact'with the flexing roll, but lie over the belts 8. The belts 23 extend around an idler 28, thence around tension idlers 13, thence over the idler 27 to the idler 24:.

When a pack is fed between the belts, it is gripped and carried around the flexing roll 4. This results in flexing the pack along successive lines of .flexure, which lines extend all the way across the pack. Stated in another way, the pack is flexed over its entire width, and the line of flexure is progressively moved across the pack. The pack is preferably fed corner first so that the lines of flexure run diagonally.

The provision of independent tension idlers for the separate belts is of advantage because it lets the belts yield in different amounts, as is required. With the arrangement of belts and idlers as shown, there is no danger of the belts tending to creep over one another. They are free to move at the required velocity and thus undue wear is prevented.

In order to ensure separation of the pack at the rear end, it is important that the leading portion be tightly gripped while the rear end is passing around the flexing roll. Tn order to do this, I impart to the sheet a flexing action similar in all respects to llllll to the flexing other side. The belts 29 and 30 lie below the I belts 22 and 23, and are of substantially the.

same width as those'belts. The belts 31 and 32 lie below the belts 7 and 8 and are of substantially the same width. The belts 29 and 30 engage the flexing roll 3 while the work'-' in portions of the belts 31 and32 lie over the be ts'29 and 30. g g

The path of each belt 29 is as follows From the flexing roll 3 over an idler 33 to an idler 34, thence to a tension idler 13, thence over idlers 35 and 36 back to the flexing roll 3. The path of each belt 30 is as follows From the flexing roll 3 over the idler 33 to an idler 37 thence over a tension idler 13 back to the idler 37, thence ovelllan-idler 38 andthe idler re 3. Y The path of each belt 32 is as follows:-

' from the flexing roll 3 over the idler 33,

thence to a tension idler 13 to an idler 39, thence over idlers 40 and 41 to the flexing roll 3. The path of each belt 31- is as follows:

from the flexing roll 3 over the idler 33,

thence to a tension idler 13 thence over an idler 42 around the idlers 39 and 40'to the idlers 20, and thence to/the flexing roll 3.

It will be seen from the above description that the working portions of theseveral belts in the plane through which a pack travels between the flexing roll 4 and the flexing roll 3 ina be said to be overlapping, that is to say, efore those belts which carryv the pack around the flexing roll have entirely released any portion of the pack, apart of that same portion is engaged by certain of the belts which carry the pack around the flexing roll 3. This is'. due to the fact thatco'm'mon idlers are emloyed for belts in each set. Considering, for example, the idler 20, it willb e seen that a belt 8 travels overthe idler 20 be- I fore it is directed upwardly to the idler 21,

while the belt/31 travels around the opposite side of the idler, adjacent to the belt 8, on

its way to the flexing roll 3. This means-that portions of] the belts 8 and 31 .will lie side by side and simultaneously engage the pack. Similarly, portions of the'belts. 22 and 30 lie side by side and simultaneously engage the pack. It will also be noted that the belts 8 extend'past the idler 25, so that the belts8 and 30 engage the pack at the same time, but

on opposite sides thereof.

As above pointed out, it is desired to feed the packs corner first. The individual tension idlersv for the belts hold the belts tight at all times, and'the arrangement of idlers is such as to another. A

,If desired, the gear '6, which is connected prevent creeping of one .beltupon 7 slightly larger than the corresponding gear on the shaft of the flexing roll 3. This will make the flexing roll 4 rotate a little more slowly than the flexing roll 3. As a result, the belts which cooperate with the flexing faster than it is normally moved by the belts roll 3 will tend to pull the pack forward cooperating with the flexing roll 4, thus putis rolled parallel to the binding. The con- I tinued sliding of the sheets over one another causes them to separate despite the sticking between surfaces of adjacent sheets and despite the interlocking edges occasioned by shearing. The idlers 27 and 40 serve to engage'the outside belts when a pack is passed through the machine and, acting through such belts, are effective for causing initial deflection of the leading edge of the pack. The distance between the idlers 27 and 4:0 and the outside belts lying over adjacent flexingrolls is preferably aboutthe thickness of a pack. These rolls are made adjustable toward or away from the flexing roll, and also adjust-able to difierent positions therearound.

As will be seen from the drawings, and

particularly Figure 1 thereof, the belts are so arranged that when they pass around the flexing rolls they are spaced apart a distance less than the width of each belt. This is found in practice to be highly advantageous, particularly if the packs are fed cornerwise, because it lnsures that gripping of the pack will be obtained sufiiciently .close to the leading and trailing corners to properly guide them and cause separation of the sheets at these corners. It is also of advantage if the packs are fed squarely to the machine because a very large percentage of the surface area of the pack is gripped, thus expediting sheet separation.

The term belts is used herein as a word of pack? is employed to cover a number of a herent sheets whet-her produced by pack rolling or not.

l have illustrated and described the present preferred form of my invention, but it Will be understood that it may be otherwise embodied or practiced within the scope. of

the following claims.

I claim comprises flexing the pack through-substantially a half circle, causing the zone of flexure to the shaft of the flexing roll 4:, may be made to move progressively along the pack, such 1. The method of separati ng packs, which moans flexing extending substantially the width of the pack, the lines of flexure lying diagonally of the pack. 1

2. Apparatus for separating packs, comprising cooperating belts adapted to receive inaterlal therebetween, guide means causing the belts to travel in a curved path, and yieldable tension means for the belts.

3. Apparatus for separating packs, comprisin lurahty of cooperating pack gripping belts or the same side of the pack associated with each flexing roll and adapted to carry packs therearound, the belts in different sets lying in overlapping relationship.

4., Apparatus for, separating packs, comrising a flexing roll, a plurality of belts lying over the flexingroll, and a second set of belts, each lyim: over those portions of the first mentioned belts which are in engagement with the flexing roll.

5. Apparatus for separating packs comprising a flexing roll,a plurallty ofl belts lying over the flexing roll, a; second set of belts, eachlying over those portions of the first mentioned belts which are inengagement with the flexing roll, and separate.

' yieldable tension means for the several belts.

6. Apparatus for separating packs, comprising a plurality of flexing rolls, cooperating belts adapted to cause packs to travel around such rolls successively, and means tor drivingone flexing roll at a lower speed thana succeeding flexing roll.

7. Apparatus for separating packs, comprising a flexing roll, a vplurality of cooperating material gripping belts travelling thereover and separate yieldable tension means for the belts.

8. Apparatus for separating packs comprising cooperating belts adapted to receive material the'rebetween, guide means causing the belts to travel in a curved path, and

separate yieldable tension means for the several belts.

'9. Apparatus for separating packs comprising a plurality of flexing rolls, a belt extending around one flexing roll so as to flex material between the belt and the roll in one direction, and a second belt extending around another flexing roll and adapted to guide the material between the last mention belt and said second flexing roll so as to flex the material in the opposite direction.

10. Apparatus for separating packs, comprising a lurality' of flexing rolls, and a pluralityo belts for each flexing roll adapted to grip a pack and guide it around their flexing roll, the belts for one flexing roll being arranged 'to deliver the pack to the belts of a succeeding flexing roll.

1-1. Apparatus for separating packs, comprising a plurality of flexing rolls, and a plurality o belts for each flexing roll adapted to grip a pack andguide it around their a plurality of flexing rolls, and a' I flexing roll, the belts for one-flexing roll bethe'pack in a direction opposite to that inwhich it was flexed around the first flexing roll.

12. Apparatus for separating packs, comprising aplurality of flexing rolls, a plurality of belts for each flexing roll adapted to rip a pack and guide it around their flexing roll, the belts for one flexing roll being arranged to deliver the pack to the belts of a succeeding flexingroll, and separate yieldable tensioning means for the se veral belts.

13. Apparatus for separating packs, comprising a plurality of flexing rolls, and a plurality of cooperating pack gripping belts for each side of thepack associated with each flexing roll and adapted to grip packs ted between them and carry'them around the flexing roll, the belts for one flexing roll being arranged to feed the pack to the belts tor a succeeding flexing roll.

14. Apparatus for separating packs, comprising a lurality of flexing rolls, and a plurality or cooperating pack gripping belts for each side of the pack associated with each flexing roll and adapted to grip packs fed between them and carry them around the flexing roll, the belts for one, flexing roll being arranged to feed the pack to the belts for a succeeding flexing roll, portions of the belts for one flexing roll lying alongside portions of the belts for the succeeding flex ing rolls.

15. Apparatus for separating packs, comprising a flexing roll a belt adapted to en- 'age a face of the pack and flex it around the flexing roll, and deflecting means lying outside the belt for engaging the same and acting through the belt to guide the pack around the flexing roll.

16. Apparatus for'separating packs, comprising a flexing roll, a belt adaptedcto engage a face of the pack and flex it around the flexing roll, and means lying outside the belt for engaging the same and effective for causing initial deflection of the leading edge of the pack.

17. Apparatus for separating packs, comprising a flexing roll, a belt adapted to engage a face of the pack andflex it around the flexing roll, and means lying outside the belt and spaced therefrom a distance substantially equal to the thickness of a pack and eflective for engaging the belt and acting through it to deflect the pack.

18. Apparatus for separating packs comprising a plurality of flexing rolls, cooperating belts adapted to cause packs to travel around such rolls successively, at least some of the belts associated with one of the flexing rolls being so arranged that they cooperate with one of the flexing rolls but not with another of such flexing rolls, and means for driving one flexing roll at a lower speed than a succeeding flexing roll.

19. Apparatus for separating acks comprising a flexing roll and a plurality of belts adapted-to engagea face of the pack and flex it around the flexing roll, the belts prising a flexing roll and a plurality of belts arranged in sets, belts in one set moving in a path other than belts in another set, but

the belts in the several sets being arran ed to he side by side asthey pass around the. ex-

ing'roll, the'belts being efi'ectivefor guiding the packaround the flexing roll, the portions of the belts lying adjacent the flexing roll being spaced'apart a distance less than the width of a belt.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES B. MORAN. 

